The Maharashtra government is preparing to introduce a strict law to prevent religious conversions in the upcoming winter session of the state legislature. This information was provided by the Minister of State for Home (Rural), Pankaj Bhoyar, in the Legislative Council.
New Delhi: The Maharashtra government is set to become the 11th state in the country to implement a law to curb religious conversions. The state government is preparing to introduce a strict and effective law in the upcoming winter session of 2025. Minister of State for Home (Rural), Pankaj Bhoyar, announced this in the Legislative Council. He explicitly stated that this law would be much stricter than those in other states of the country.
This decision by the state government comes at a time when there is a heated debate between the government and the opposition regarding the rapid conversions taking place in the tribal areas of the state. The Maharashtra government claims that this new law will be a milestone in preventing unauthorized conversions in the future.
Anti-Conversion Law: Why is it needed in Maharashtra?
The coalition government in Maharashtra, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), is already active on this issue. BJP MLAs have repeatedly alleged that forced conversions of tribals are being carried out in the tribal areas of the state through illegal churches funded by foreign sources. BJP MLA Anoop Agarwal claimed in the Legislative Council that the number of illegal churches has suddenly increased rapidly in tribal-dominated districts like Palghar and Nandurbar.
He alleged that half a dozen churches have been established in villages with a population of 2,000 people. Conversions are being carried out through these churches by means of enticement, fear, or on the pretext of medical facilities.
What did Minister of State for Home Pankaj Bhoyar say?
Minister of State for Home Pankaj Bhoyar informed that a special panel has been formed under the leadership of the Director General of Police (DGP). The draft prepared by this panel to prevent conversions will be more stringent than those in other states. According to Bhoyar, the DGP has submitted the report to the government, and the bill will be presented in the winter session of the assembly. The winter session of the Maharashtra assembly is usually held in Nagpur in December.
In which 10 states is the anti-conversion law already in force?
- Rajasthan
- Uttar Pradesh
- Madhya Pradesh
- Odisha
- Andhra Pradesh
- Chhattisgarh
- Gujarat
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jharkhand
- Uttarakhand
What will be the provisions in the law?
Although the full draft of the bill has not yet been made public by the Maharashtra government, according to the information available: a ban on conversions through enticement, fear, deception, or marriage. Prior notification will be mandatory if a person changes their religion. Strict punishment and fines if forced conversion is proven. Special protection provisions will be made by identifying tribal and weaker sections of society.
Earlier, in March 2025, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had also stated the need for a strict law in Maharashtra to prevent cases of alleged 'love jihad' and conversions. Fadnavis claimed that the government had received more than 1 lakh such complaints. The BJP says that this law will protect the cultural and social fabric.
